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Review: “The Best of Me”

David Sedaris’ newest novel ranked second on Amazon charts

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

There’s no doubt a seemingly endless amount of new media is constantly being released; it can be hard to sift through all the latest content to find something meaningful. Plenty of worthwhile messages can be found in David Sedaris’ latest nonfiction book, “The Best of Me,” which gives the reader a peek into the years of Sedaris’ life and career, and his sense of humor.

These collections of stories and essays are arranged as selected by the author and cover various complex situations — the realities of wild family dynamics, encounters while traveling, losing a parent and his sister and how to heal from further hurt and loss. He utilizes his vivid, confessional style of writing to immerse the reader into these experiences, handling hard situations with a sense of humor and compassion. Within the first few chapters, Sedaris at one point quips, “If you read an essay in the Esquire and don’t like it, there could be something wrong with the essay. If it’s in The New Yorker, on the other hand, and you don’t like it, there’s something wrong with you.” 

Through the humor and hearty topics displayed in “The Best of Me,” and countless other popular works, like “Calypso” and “When You Are Engulfed In Flames,” Sedaris constantly displays his unique voice on topics that a lot of readers can relate to. 

Originally published on Sept. 29, the hardcover has been available on Amazon since Nov. 3, and ranked number two on Amazon Charts for “The Top 20 Most Sold & Most Read of the Week” the week of Nov. 8. 

The price of the book ranges from $16 to $26 on Amazon depending on the version bought. Other price points and ways to find his book are available on his website. To keep up with Sedaris and his latest adventures, visit his official site at davidsedarisbooks.com for more information. 

Overall Rating: 8/10, it made me laugh and cry at the same time. I would totally recommend the book to anyone who enjoys hearty, make-your-eyes-tear-up nonfiction and quick-witted, dark humor.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu 

Review: “Terra”

Review of the digital-only album from Eric Alexandrakis

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

A new digital-only album from Grammy-nominated musician, Eric Alexandrakis, is hitting the mainstream. “Terra” has been described by producer, Minoan Music, takes heavy influence from the 1960s psychedelic pop and new wave music. They also build off pop-styles from the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Take all this and mix it with a decent amount of Pink Floyd vibes, and there’s “Terra,” an alternative album that can be enjoyed by many. 

This 28-track album is jam-packed with plenty of alternative songs for anyone who wants to explore new music. The concept for “Terra,” as described by the artist, is inspired by his adventures while traveling and manages to weave in a compelling and poignant narrative of the artist’s life. Compared to his other albums, “Terra” has more of a unique feel with Alexandrakis’ use of an ancient 16-track machine. 

Along with this, the tracks are crafted with the help of bass player John Taylor of Duran Duran. In these multi-layered songs, Alexandrakis takes the listener on an emotional journey with his artistic lyricism — “Terra” will take you for a wild ride from start to finish. 

To follow some of the older stories Alexandrakis has produced, other albums like, “I.V. CATATONIA: 20 Years As a Two-Time Cancer Survivor” and “Hell On Earth” can be found on Apple Music. 

Overall Rating: 7/10, for the musical journey I went on. I would recommend this to people that enjoy exploring innovative music.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Find some cheesy and spooky entertainment on Netflix

Get thrilled and chilled with the latest season of “American Horror Story”

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

To the delight of “American Horror Story” fans, Netflix released the ninth season,, “1984,” on Nov. 13. Although FX released this series back in September of 2019, only now have the episodes been added to Netflix ⏤ just in time to provide some final screams for the fall season.

This latest spookfest pays homage to past horror movies like “Friday the 13th,” which are chock-full of slasher tropes; but like always, the show brings its classic twists. 

Over the course of nine episodes in this season of “AHS: 1984,” the audience follows a group of young adults from Los Angeles who have been tasked with spreading camp cheer as counselors at Camp Redwood — a location that was shut down after a grotesque murder spree in 1970. Over a decade later, after the camp has been reopened, the killer is set on returning to the scene of the crime. These five scrappy youths quickly learn that they must find a way to stay alive or face a grizzly ending. 

Among the twists and turns, people can expect to see some familiar faces in the returning cast ⏤ including Emma Roberts, Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd. So, fire up the laptop, get some snacks and get those final fall thrills in.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Horror podcasts to scare and entertain

Tune into these scary podcasts just in time for spooky season

Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

Podcasts come in many different genres, such as true crime, lifestyle or business, to name a few. One specific genre that becomes popular during fall is horror storytelling — both fiction and nonfiction. In preparation for the spooky season, here are some horror podcasts to tune into.

“Lore” is a podcast that runs bi-weekly and covers historical stories with a dark theme. Each episode features pieces of history that involve tragic events, unusual circumstances and events, strange places and even mysterious creatures. Not only is it a podcast, but it also has a TV show and book series to go with it.

For those who prefer scary stories that aren’t based on real events, “The NoSleep Podcast” provides hundreds of episodes of eerie tales with accompanying atmospheric music. The podcast’s website provides a list of “sampler episodes” for new listeners to check out before delving into the rest of the episodes, and also issues a disclaimer that the stories are not for the faint of heart.

A first-hand account of a journalist’s search for the truth, the podcast “The Black Tapes” covers the mysterious past of her subject and delves into the “literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both,” according to the show description.

“Spooked” is a seasonal podcast presented by “Snap Judgement,” a podcast that occurs year round. It features real-life accounts of supernatural events told by those who experienced them, following the theme of “Snap Judgement” but with a spooky twist of ghosts and the paranormal added to the mix.

For more true scary stories, “Radio Rental” provides another outlet for people to share their accounts of bizarre and startling events from their lives. The episode list isn’t very long, due to the creators taking a hiatus after only 6 episodes, but is now back to updating regularly.

Many of the podcasts listed have their own websites for viewers to tune into; however, there are a few apps where people can listen to for free or with a subscription, such as Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Geocaching: The latest way to beat the blues and boredom

Strap on some boots and explore the area with geocaching

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

Let’s be honest: cramming in last-minute assignments for online classes in the middle of a pandemic is stressful, and people need new ways to destress and get out and about. One way to appreciate the changing seasons and engage the mind and body is through geocaching, which is a fun way to involve and engage communities locally and globally. 

Geocaching — aka geostaching — was originally created in Oregon in 2000 and is a hunt for hidden caches or stashes of items. The location is laid out in coordinates, but recent apps allow for built-in maps. Over time, the items have gotten more difficult to find, making the hunt for the item well worth it.

One popular app to explore this activity is an app called Geocaching, created by Groundspeak Inc. No matter a person’s experience or knowledge level, the app is user-friendly and has a built-in navigation system that will make the phone vibrate when within 30 feet of the hidden geocache. 

In the app, instructions and information can be found on the selected location, and a place to rate and leave comments about the user’s experience. There’s some lingo that people use in the general geocaching community, as well as in the logbooks and on the app. They can be useful when first starting off, so here’s some quick shorthands:

  • BYOP: bring your own pencil/pen
  • FTF: first to find
  • Muggle: a non-geocacher 
  • Attributes: a form of communicating what to expect at a cache location
  • TFTC: thanks for the cache

Typically, geocaches are in weatherproof items, and some are hidden in small tins or bottles. Inside, there can be a variety of items; some caches are supposed to be difficult to find and only allow for a small booklet — known as a logbook — where people leave their names or nicknames, and the date when they found that stash. If the stash is big enough, people can leave small toys and trinkets. Some of these items have been there for an extended amount of time and may have light water damage or have been well hidden, but overall they are typically pretty easy to find and can range in difficulty for those who want to try harder ones.  

There is a basic etiquette and some basic tips to the game — like making an equal trade, no illegal items in the cache, hide it well and in the same area, be stealthy but not suspicious when rehiding the geocache, wear shoes and clothes that can get dirty and always put safety first. Geocaching is a fun way to get outside, but make sure to stay warm and safe, and find the hidden treasures that are just blocks away. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Say hey to Santa at the online 53rd annual tree lighting ceremony

Enjoy the upcoming holiday tree lighting event online 

 Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

The holiday season and a pandemic don’t make for the most ideal of conditions, but there are still plenty of local holiday events for people to enjoy at home. 

One staple of the holiday season in Monmouth is the 53rd annual tree lighting ceremony, a live broadcast of the massive Sequoia Tree that sits on the lawn of Campbell Hall. For many students at Western, especially first-years, getting bundled up and braving the cold to see the lights is essentially a rite of passage. 

This year, staff and students get to enjoy the comforts of home and spread the holiday spirit since it will be an online event. It will be held on Friday, Nov. 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. and can be found at wou.edu/livestream, or on wouTV. So get a blanket, cocoa or some apple cider to settle in. 

Along with the view of the lights on the tree, both of the mayors from Monmouth and Independence ⏤ along with President Rex Fuller ⏤ will be reading a winning essay by a local Monmouth elementary school student. Don’t forget to catch a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause who will be at the event to supervise and say hello, but it has not been confirmed if they will be riding in on the reindeer pulling the sled.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

“Schitt’s Creek” Finale

A dysfunctional household learns the value of family over the course of six seasons

Brianna Lelieur | Entertainment Editor

“Schitt’s Creek” is a recently concluded show that has been around for six seasons. The series starts with an incredibly dysfunctional family that is filthy rich, and becomes flat broke in a matter of minutes. They are then dropped in a random, middle-of-nowhere town that the main character, Johnny Rose, had bought for his son, David, as a joke. From there, viewers see their journey and evolution into figuring out how the real world works, and how to become productive members of society. 

Now coming full circle, the show has finally reached its end. The show closed on a happy note, with the finale focusing on a message that the characters were glad they lost their money in the beginning, because it allowed them to become better, happier people. 

The show’s last season’s best feature was well executed character development. They ensured that the characters still retained a lot of key aspects of their former lives, and didn’t completely make them something they were not. 

An example of this was with Alexis Rose; she started out super rich, always sassy and in a hurry, looking for the next place to go and see. However, we see her develop into a woman who learns  to appreciate taking a break once in a while, and learning that there is a lot more to life than always being on the go. 

By the finale, she knows that sometimes it is better to have great company — whether it’s with family, a partner or friends — than doing what is “cool” at the time. However, despite the fact they calmed her down a bit, the itch of belonging in a big city always lingered in her. They didn’t write that off, and she didn’t transition into a completely different character. 

“Schitt’s Creek” is a basic Family Dysfunction TV show — it makes the viewer feel like a part of the fame point can relate to them.

Overall review: It’s a decent show, and while I don’t think I’ll be rewatching it, I would definitely recommend it. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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